Pistol Offense
The Pistol Offense is an offense that features a quarterback in a short three yard shotgun and a running back three yards behind him. Upon the quarterback receiving the direct snap he may turn around and hand the ball off to the running back behind him, look up to pass or execute the option from the "pistol" with the running back. The advantage of this offense is that it gives the quarterback an opportunity to read the defense without the disadvantages of a normal shotgun such as signaling a pass play. It also allows the running back an opportunity to run downhill as opposed to the shotguns normal sideways angles. This offense was innovated by current Nevada head coach Chris Ault. While the Wolf Pack is the only school that uses this offense as their primary offense it has been seen throughout high school and college football.The Pistol has now even made the leap to the NFL in brief instances by some teams or regularly by the 2008 Kansas City Chiefs with Tyler Thigpen at quarterback. The Pittsburgh Steelers also briefly used the Pistol Offense in their 2010-2011 season, in an attempt to help Ben Roethlisberger perform with a broken foot.
Read more about this topic: Offensive Philosophy (American Football)
Famous quotes containing the words pistol and/or offense:
“Johnson did not answer ...; but talking for victory and determined to be master of the field, he had recourse to the device which Goldsmith imputed to him in the witty words of one of Cibber’s comedies. “There is no arguing with Johnson; for when his pistol misses fire, he knocks you down with the butt end of it.””
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)
“O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven;
It hath the primal eldest curse upon ‘t,
A brother’s murder. Pray can I not,
Though inclination be as sharp as will;
My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent,
And like a man to double business bound
I stand in pause where I shall first begin,
And both neglect. What if this cursed hand
Were thicker than itself with brother’s blood,
Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens
To wash it white as snow?”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)